Exactly what I had feared would happen happened. DeRozan won't be in the rookie challenge and it's because of the great depth of guards and wings in this years draft. It sucks. He better be in the dunk comp.

Last edited by James Ballswin (Realizar); Wed Jan 27th, 2010 at 11:47 AM.

I don't think it's that big a deal he's gonna miss this game. It wuld be nice to see him there and if he were to take the spot of anyone it would be Jerebko. But at least he'll whip Gordon's ass in the Dunk-Off, and then take it home Saturday night! I think he's gonna be the first to do a full front flip as he's dunking!LOL

The all-rookie team roster is always filled-out with over-achieving NBA ready dudes who have little upside.... Maybe they should change the voting from the all-star game and use it on the unimportant Rookie/Sophomore game instead! lol

The all-rookie team roster is always filled-out with over-achieving NBA ready dudes who have little upside.... Maybe they should change the voting from the all-star game and use it on the unimportant Rookie/Sophomore game instead! lol

People who don't watch basketball would figure out a loophole to vote for T-Mac 800,000 times.

I'm a DeRozan fan, but when you look at the people selected ahead of him, it's hard to argue that he's had a better year than them (at least, numbers wise). And there are too many guards this year so it was always going to be tough.

Not that it has ever been a ratings bonanza, but TV folks responsible for airing the rookie/sophomore game as part of the NBA's all-star weekend can officially forget about any of the Raptors tuning in.

That became a definite early Wednesday morning when word spread through the Raptors locker room that DeMar DeRozan would not be one of the nine rookies invited to take part in the game.

DeRozan found out from teammate and best friend Sonny Weems who burst into the training room where DeRozan was getting treatment for two sprained ankles and vented his own frustration at the snub. No one on the team understood it.

DeRozan said he was "more confused than angry" about not being selected but he did use his Twitter account to share his initial feelings when he found it. DeRozan sent out the three-letter tweet "Wow" and left it at that.

"I've learned from other players, just keep it short and sweet," he said.

DeRozan said he will certainly be using this as motivation for the rest of the year.

"I don't get too frustrated because I've got an entire second half of the season to go," DeRozan said. "It's just a chance for me to show them that I should have got a mention here."

DeRozan, who has started all 45 games for the Raptors this year, will be at the event to take part in the first Dunk-in qualifier against the Clippers' Eric Gordon for Saturday's Slam-Dunk contest.

It’s not like you can make an overwhelming statistical case for DeRozan’s inclusion a la Tyreke Evans and Stephen Curry and – to an extent – Dujuan Blair.
But it’s not like anyone else is blowing up the lines either. And the guys who have better lines – hello Johnny Flynn! – are doing it with bigger minutes on bad to awful teams.
But if we have to pick on anyone we’ll pick on a Swede. Why? Because Detroit Piston Jonas Jerebko is having as over-hyped a rookie season not named Jonas Gustavsson!
The blood is boiling at this point. I have to rest.